WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 206 Q Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 206 Q St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold the whole of 206 Q NW to William D. and Annie Queen.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Queens borrowed $6,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1956 the Queens sold 1/2 of the property to Evans, new partner Harry A. Badt, and Taube.
  • June 1959 Evans, Badt, Taube, their wives, and the survivors of Nathan Levin, as part of a larger property package, sold 1/2 of 206 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • August 1961, the Queens lost their remaining half to foreclosure. Through an auction Evans, Nathan Levin’s survivors and Taube regained ownership of the property.
  • December 1961 Evans, Nathan Levin’s survivors and Taube and their wives sold the foreclosed half to George Basiliko.
  • July 1970 George Basiliko sold the whole of 206 Q to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) as part of a larger property package in document #1970011877.
  • August 1979 DC RLA transferred/sold many Truxton Circle properties, including 206 Q, in a large property package in document #7900028039 to the Bates Street Associates Inc.

So the pattern plays itself out for 206 Q St NW. There is a foreclosure, it gets sold to Basiliko who then sold it to DC who then passed it on to the Bates Street Associates.

So as a side note there are the Queens. I kept seeing “his wife” scratched out, noting that Annie was not William D.’s wife.  She was his mom. In the 1950 census 36 year old AfAm truck driver William Dennis Queen lived with his parents, 73 year old Dennis and 66 year old Annie Agnes Queen(nee Johnson) at an apartment at 61 Rhode Island Av NE.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 223 Bates Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 223 Bates St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 223 Bates St NW to Margaret and Matthews McCants.
  • Jan 1951 the McCants borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 223 Bates St NW to Maggie and William H. Otey.
  • Jan 1951 the Oteys borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • April 1962 the Oteys were released from their mortgage.
  • October 1962 the McCants were released from their mortgage.
  • March 1966 the McCants borrowed $5,151.72 from trustees AJ Mascetta and Ralph O. Weed in order to pay Washington Aluminum Co.
  • February 1978 the McCants and the Oteys sold 223 Bates St NW to Daniel J. and Suzanne T. Bailey.

This had a good outcome, no foreclosures and owners were able to borrow money from outside lenders.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 142 Q Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 142 Q St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 142 Q St NW to Proctor E. Butler.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Mr. Butler borrowed $6,750 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1952 Mr. Butler lost the home to foreclosure and via an auction the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • August 1952 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold one half of 142 Q St NW to Annie R. and Roosevelt Johnson.
  • August 1952 the Johnsons borrowed $3,450.31 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • August 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half to Dora C. and Howard O. Hackett.
  • August 1952 the Hacketts borrowed $3,250.30 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • February 1952 the Johnson lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction it returned to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • May 1954 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the foreclosed half to divorcee Evelyn S. Brown and widow Louise M. Smith.
  • May 1954 Smith and Brown borrowed $3,955.38 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • May 1956 the Hacketts lost their half to foreclosure and it returned to the possession of Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
  • November 1961 new Colonial Investment Co. partner Harry A. Badt, Evans and Taube, their wives, and the survivors of Nathan Levin sold the remaining half of 142 Q to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1967 Brown and Smith lost their half of 142 Q to foreclosure and via an auction the survivors of Nathan Levin, Evans and Taube.
  • July 1970 Evans, the survivors of Nathan Levin, and Taube sold the remaining half to George Basiliko.
  • August 1970 (document # 1970016172) the Basilikos sold 142 Q St to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • May 1976 the DC Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings condemned the building then cancelled that order in October.
  • July 1978 (doc #7800024142 ) DC RLA transferred ownership to the Bates Street Associates Inc. as part of a larger property package. They failed to improve the property.

Side note- this house has been vacant for like—- forever.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 214 Q Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 214 Q St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold the whole of 214 Q NW to Ms Sarah Cathey.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Cathey borrowed $6,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1955, the widowed Mrs. Cathey borrowed $4,500 at 6% APR from trustees Spencer E. Fitzgerald and Frank Paroni.
  • August 1962 Cathey was released from her Levin & Weightman loan.
  • January 1968 Elizabeth H. Pinkney, Cathey’s daughter and sole heir, borrowed $2,595 from trustees HF Brown III and Peter M. Lampris to pay R & W Construction Co.
  • January 1972 document #1972001370, we’re informed that Sarah Cathey died July 28, 1957 and Elizabeth Pinkney became Mrs. Elizabeth Hughes. Mrs. Hughes and her husband Joseph Hughes sold the home to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency for $11,400.

I’ll stop there with DC RLA. This was a good one. A widow was able to purchase a whole house, not half a house like other WSIC homes. There was no foreclosure, especially after obtaining a loan outside of the Colonial Investment bubble.

I was able to find a little something about Ms. Cathey looking at Ancestry. In the 1954 DC city directory she was a maid living at 214 Q St NW, proving she was a homeowner. In the 1940 census she was renting a unit at 1610 1st St NW living with her daughter, then Elizabeth Hall, and three grandchildren. She was a Black widow from South Carolina, working as a maid for an office building. Elizabeth was also listed as a Black widow and was not employed. For the 1930 census the family lived at 34 E St NW. It was just Ms. Cathey, working as a domestic, her married daughter and her newborn grandson.

Via the 1930 census I was able to find her in the 1950 census, which was interesting. The family lived at 60 Q St NW Apt #2. Cathey was still working as a maid at 60 years old, but for an insurance company. Her 39 year old daughter had a job as a telephone operator for an apartment building. Her 22 year old grandson, William F., worked as a file clerk for the IRS. Her two other grandchildren were school aged. Also in the house hold was William’s wife who worked as a typist for the Navy Dept and Cathey’s 56 year old widowed brother Henry Thompson, who did not have a job.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 225 Bates Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 225 Bates St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 225 Bates St NW to Mary E. and Samuel Page.
  • Jan 1951 the Pages borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • May 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 225 Bates St NW to Beatrice G. and James D. Kemp.
  • May 1951 the Kemps borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • May 1962 the Pages were released from their mortgage owning their half free and clear.
  • March 1964 the Kemps paid off their mortgage.
  • September 1966 Beatrice M. Kemp (aka Beatrice G. Kemp) who is the surviving tenant when James Kemp died 8/19/1965, sold her half to Esther C. Dreeben, Louis M. Dreeben, Julius N. Press and Lillian Press.
  • October 1966 the Presses transferred/sold their interest in half of the property to their co-owners the Dreebens.
  • March 1974 the Dreebens and the Pages sold their halves to George Basiliko, bringing it under one owner.
  • March 1979 Sophia and George Basiliko sold the house to H.R.L., Inc.

I’ll stop in 1979. No foreclosures but it does come under the ownership of slum landlord George Basiliko.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 227 Bates Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 227 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 227 Bates St NW to Ira Alquero.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Mrs. Alquero borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • May 1951 Mrs. Alquero sold/transferred her half to Inez and James Foster.
  • June 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 227 Bates St NW to John and his wife Vetra Bedney.
  • June 1951 the Bedneys borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1952 the Bedneys lost their half to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained ownership via an auction.
  • March 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed half to Farin and Maude G. Boykin.
  • March 1953 the Boykins borrowed $3,226.75 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • February 1963 Mrs. Alquero, and thus the Fosters, was released from her mortgage owning the property free and clear.
  • August 1974 James Foster, the surviving spouse, added Janice Foster.
  • May 1989 Farkin Boyden’s name was removed from the deed.
  • September 1991 the March 1953 mortgage was transferred to a new trustee, Lillie Mae Payne and Mrs. Boykin was released from the mortgage.

Normally I stop things in the 1970s. The property finally fell under one owner, Maude Boykin,  in 2002. One foreclosure but the property did not fall under the DC government, however there was an odd document ( 8000014566) involving the Bates Street Associates (BSA), Inc listed. However, there was nothing in the chain of title linking BSA Inc to 227 Bates.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 221 Bates Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 221 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 221 Bates St NW to Beatrice W. and William C. Mitchell.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Mitchells borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 221 Bates St NW to Ethel Taylor, a widow.
  • Jan 1951 Mrs. Taylor borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1957 the Mitchells sold/transferred  their property to Pernell and Raymond R. Taylor.
  • November 1961 the Mitchells were released from their mortgage.
  • March 1962 Mrs. Taylor was released from her mortgage and she owned her half free and clear.
  • April 1966 the Taylors sold their half to Frances F. and Raymond L. Rogers.
  • December 1966 the estate of Ethel Taylor, represented by Coleman S. Holmes sold her half to the Rogers, bringing the property under one owner.
  • August 1970 the Rogers sold their half to DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • June 1980 the DC RLA sold/transferred the house to the Bates Street Associates as part of a larger property package.

Despite their being no foreclosures the house wound up in the hands of the DC government. Oh well.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 140 Q Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 140 Q St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 140 Q NW to Harriet B. and Paul S. Goodwin.
  • Jan 1951 the Goodwins borrowed $3,150 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 140 Q St NW to George and wife Willie M. Cromer.
  • Jan 1951 the Cromers borrowed $3,150 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1954 the Goodwins sold their half back to Evans, Levin, and Taube.
  • November 1954 the Cromers lost their half of the property to foreclosure. Evans, Levin, and Taube regained ownership via an auction.
  • March 1959 the Goodwins were released from their mortgage.
  • March 1959 the Colonial Investment Co partners and the Levin survivors, in a larger property package, sold their interest in the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1970 (doc# 1970011877) Basiliko, as part of a large package, sold 140 Q and many other properties to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • June 1980 DC RLA entered into a contract (doc # 8000020221) with BSA (Bates Street Associates) and transferred a large number of properties to the venture (doc # 8000020294, signatories on p.5) Bates Street Associates (BSA).

I’ll end it with the BSA. So there was one foreclosure and that was the same month when the remaining owners sold the property back to Colonial Investments. Then it went to George Basiliko, known landlord of “slum” properties. And then the pattern is continued when it was sold to DC RLA who passed it on to BSA.

George Cromer in the 1950 census was living at an apartment building at 1031 8th St NW with his wife Willie and their one year old son. He repaired tracks for the transit company. Prior to that, during WW2, they were at 1241 8th St NW and he worked for what is now PEPCO. According to that description he was a dark complexioned Afro-American man who was 5’9″ and 183 lbs.

In 1950 the Goodwins were living with family at 411 1/2 Franklin St NW…. Dang those houses are tiny. Less than 1000 sq ft tiny and there were 4 adults and 5 minor children in the house. Four of the children were the Goodwins’ kids. Paul was working for a construction company and Harriet was a maid. Her father Lewis Ruffin was a carpenter. Paul died in 1954, so that could be the reason the property was sold back to Colonial Investments.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 1547 3rd Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 1547 3rd St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 1547 3rd NW to Alfred E. and Edna M. Williams.
  • Jan 1951 the Williams borrowed $3,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 1547 3rd St NW to Mary M. Fair.
  • Jan 1951 divorcee Ms. Fair borrowed $3,375 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • April 1962 Mary M. Fair was released from her mortgage and owned her half free and clear.
  • June 1964 the Williams borrowed $6,500 from United Mortgage Company Inc.
  • August 1964 the Williams were released from their United Mortgage Co Inc mortgage.
  • February 1965 the Williams were released from their Levin and Weightman mortgage.
  • March 1966 there was another United Mortgage release. I don’t understand it.
  • March 1966 the Williams got a mortgage from Security Home Mortgage Corporation of Silver Spring, MD $2,193.12.
  • November 1967 the Williams were released from their Security Home Mortgage Co mortgage.
  • September 1973 Mary M. Newton formerly Mary Fair borrowed $5,000 from trustees Harry M. Stern and Jay S. Weiss to pay Harry A. Payne.
  • November 1978 Mary Newton was released from her September 1973 mortgage.

Another good result. No foreclosures. The original 1951 buyers continued to own their halves into the 1980s.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 1549 3rd Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 1549 3rd St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 1549 3rd St NW to Robert and Rosalie R. Moses.
  • Jan 1951 Mr. & Mrs. Moses borrowed $3,900 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 1549 3rd St NW to Jimmie and Lucille J. Nelson.
  • Jan 1951 the Nelson borrowed $3,900 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1952 the Nelsons transferred their half to Edith E. Matthews who transferred it to Ms. Lucille J. Davis.
  • November 1961 Ms. Davis transferred her half to Ms. Frances R. Atwood who then transferred it to Jimmie and Lucille J. Nelson.
  • December 1961 the Nelsons were released from their mortgage.
  • March 1962 Mr. & Mrs. Moses were released from their mortgage.

I will end it here because the documents get a little too recent for comfort. A 1997 document mentions that Lucille J. Nelson and Lucille J. Davis are one in the same.

This was a good story as there were no foreclosures and the properties were owned free and clear by the original buyers.